Wanita Umno draws 5 red lines for political cooperation

 Noraini Ahmad tells Umno assembly the party can work with any coalition partner but must not let its influence or grassroots voice erode.

Wanita Umno chief Noraini Ahmad said political cooperation must not come at the expense of the party’s identity.

PETALING JAYA:

Umno must not let its core principles be the first thing sacrificed when entering into any form of political cooperation, says Wanita Umno chief Noraini Ahmad.

Delivering her policy speech at the wing’s general assembly today, Noraini set out five red lines for the party in any coalition arrangement.

“First: don’t sacrifice the foundation of our struggle. Second: don’t sacrifice the party’s dignity. Third: don’t sacrifice national stability. Fourth: don’t sideline Malaysia’s plural society. Fifth: never sacrifice the voice of the grassroots,” she said.

Noraini said Umno could work with any party but warned that cooperation must not come at the expense of the party’s identity.

“We can be friends with anyone. But we must know who we are,” she said.

Noraini said working within a coalition of parties with differing histories and ideologies should not mean that Umno loses its voice in government.

“Cooperation must not erode identity. Identity, in turn, must not become an excuse to reject cooperation. We must be smart in safeguarding both,” she said.

She said Umno joined the unity government for the sake of national stability and the people’s interests, but that the party must continue to build its own strength.

“If Umno is important enough when a government needs to be formed, Umno must also be important enough when decisions affecting the people’s lives are made,” she said.

She said Wanita Umno understood the meaning of compromise, but too much concession could lead people to think that the party had no position of its own.

“We can sit at the same table. But we must not let our seats and our voice keep shrinking,” she said. - FMT